Arranging living room furniture isn’t an art. It’s actually a bit of a science. The eyes like harmony and balance, but not so much that it creates boredom or complacency.

Savvy designers know this, of course, mixing fabrics, colors, textures and sizes to create a welcoming space that feels homey but never boring.

Thankfully, you don’t have to go to interior design school to learn the basics of arranging living room furniture for both form and functionality.

The first thing you want to remember is that the living room needs to be livable. You should never do something that makes it look more like a showroom than a place to comfortably entertain family and friends. Start off by deciding what your living room is used for. For example, do you use it only when guests are over, or is it part of a great room concept that makes it multifunctional?

Traditional formal living rooms aren’t as popular as they once were, primarily because the way we use our homes have changed. Today’s families want to use all of the their space, eschewing formal for functional.

Once you know how the living room fits into your lifestyle, it’s time to pick a focal point. Often this is an architectural element, such as a large view window or a fireplace. It can also be a large screen TV or even a work of art. If you have an element that is dominant, arrange your future around it. Arranging living room furniture around a focal point is one of the easiest ways to make your room more inviting. Read the rest of this entry »